Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Lausanne University Hospital and Lausanne University, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Tissue Analysis Core, Immunology Laboratory, Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Methods Mol Biol. 2024;2813:281-293. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3890-3_18.
The development of an effective humoral response to pathogens and immunogens is a multiphase biological process, which is mediated by the coordinated function of specialized immune cell types in secondary lymphoid organs and particularly in T cell and follicular areas. More specifically, within the follicular/germinal center area, the orchestrated interplay between B cells, follicular helper CD4 T cells (Tfh), and stromal cells triggers a cascade of immune reactions leading to the development of memory B cells and plasma cells able to generate effective, antigen-specific antibodies. The role of Tfh cells in this process is critical. Given the need for vaccines capable to induce antibodies of high affinity, neutralizing activity, and durability, understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating Tfh cell development is of great importance. Here, we describe novel approaches for the comprehensive understanding of these cells and possible implications for future studies in vaccine development and the understanding of the pathogenesis of relevant diseases.
针对病原体和免疫原产生有效体液免疫反应是一个多阶段的生物学过程，由次级淋巴器官中专门免疫细胞类型的协调功能介导，尤其是在 T 细胞和滤泡区。更具体地说，在滤泡/生发中心区域，B 细胞、滤泡辅助性 CD4 T 细胞（Tfh）和基质细胞之间的协调相互作用引发一系列免疫反应，导致记忆 B 细胞和浆细胞的发育，这些细胞能够产生有效的、抗原特异性的抗体。Tfh 细胞在这个过程中起着关键作用。鉴于需要能够诱导高亲和力、中和活性和持久性抗体的疫苗，了解调节 Tfh 细胞发育的细胞和分子机制非常重要。在这里，我们描述了全面了解这些细胞的新方法，以及对疫苗开发和相关疾病发病机制研究的可能影响。
